Best high protein food for thin hen

[Coffeemama7]

I completely agree to life over the alternative! The galvanized waterer is a conflict, you could always buy a $10 plastic one for the sick pen, or as an extra for them to peck at. I have several, and can dump them in bleach, soak, and use periodically. Good luck with the wormer! I'd love to hear your progress, keep us up to date!

 

[new chick 203]

For sure set up a second feed station if there is a bully keeping them away. Also, check to see if she has lice or mites. Last year we had a thin girl and we hadn't noticed she was infested. i felt so bad, but she immediately felt better after we solved that issue.

 

[lcammack]

Thank you all for your help. We checked her for bugs and didn't find any, we have not seen her scratching or feeling uncomfortable. We decided to move her and her best chicken friend to a sick ward (we didn't want her to be lonely and she doesn't seem to have anything that we would have to worry about her passing to her friend).

I gave her some more scrambled egg with canned cat food and a few meal worms, luckily she still has an appetite, she at the whole thing! She drank a ton of water and ate some layer feed. Got her and the rest of the flock wormed. We will repeat in 10 days. I am hoping to see her perk up in a day or two so we know what we are doing is working.

So far the weight seems to be her only symptom, and she is really quiet, we used to never be able to pick her up and right now she doesn't mind at all. She hasn't been coughing, and luckily no runny nose or eyes. So I guess time will tell.

Should we be feeding her some greens also, or just continue with the higher protein foods? (Usually every to every other day we give them a bunch of spinach)

 

[al6517]

Animal protien based feeds will work better faster, I know there 75,000 people that just told you to feed cat food, which it seems your doing, but i prefer to feed animal protien based chicken feed, leave the cat food to the cat's, sorry just not a fan of this out of date ole wives tale about cat food and protien. Hope your bird get's well.

 

[dragonlair]

I use meat and fat scraps to put and keep weight on the girls. I used to use dry cat food but I get the scraps free for my dogs.

 

[lcammack]

So when you say animal base protein chicken food what would I be looking for at the feed store? This is the first time I have used canned cat food, it is just really high quality 95% duck grain free, so I thought it would be good for a quick pick me up of sorts.

 

[lcammack]

So when you say animal base protein chicken food what would I be looking for at the feed store? This is the first time I have used canned cat food, it is just really high quality 95% duck grain free, so I thought it would be good for a quick pick me up of sorts.

 

[al6517]

I mean animal protien vs plant protien, the labels will say if the source of the protien is say for instance......... corn or soy, or whatever. Animal protiens provide a better source and is better for them, the labels will say animal or chicken or feather byproducts, this is animal protien. I raise birds that need the best and highest quality feed I can give them and I have found over the years through thick and thin and in sickness animal protien is the way to go. this is not an oppinion it's a scientific fact. perhaps you could find some and try it, most of the better game bird/breeder/conditioner feeds of 19%-30% will contain the very best animal protien.

 

[lcammack]

Sorry for the double post, had some issues with slow posts last night. Thanks for clearing that up for me al6517. I checked the label on our feed and it does have animal protein. I would worry about having some very overweight chickens if I gave them all that high of protein, they are all of very good weight on the 16% layer they get, exception being this one hen.

GOOD NEWS! I checked in on her this morning and she is much brighter and perkier, even pecked at my daughter lol. She had a nice full crop and has drank lots of water. So maybe in a couple days I can sneak her and her friend back into the coop at night if she continues to improve and see if she continues to hold her own.

Thank you all for your ideas and support!